Self-aligning pulley



June 6, 1944. R. F. HLAVATY 2,350,509

y SELF-ALIGNING PULLY y original Filed sept. 15; 1941 2 sheets-snee; 1

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Patented June 6, 1944 l y uNiTEo STATES PATENT oFFicl-z snmauaamcromsrwenn r. man. om. nl.

ih'glllml Het September l5, 1541,' Sel'lll No. 410%. Divided and thisDilution Jl!! 15,1942,l Serial No. 451,003

rz claim. (cl. 'xt- 24711) This invention relates to ascii-aligningWlinder, wheel, roller. or other rotary member, either driving, driven,or idling.'v In one form itmay-be embodied in a pulley. It has for oneobject to provide a rotary member. which hasformed in it 6 or attachedto it parts which operate automatically to keep 'it in alignment or tore-align it. Where the invention comprises a pulley operating with abelt, it serves to keep the belt and pulley aligned or to restore themto alignment. l0

It is well recognized that most belts andparticularly wide or largebelts have a tendency to move out of alignment. 'Ihis tendency isparticularly evident in the case of large rubber belts.

Almost all belts are susceptible to change due to lo 1 a belt contactingpulley portion 9. These porchanging atmospheric and temperatureconditions, and it is generally recognized that it is difiicult tomaintain such belts in alignment. In general practice, hand operatedmeans are provided for re-aligning such belts, and frequent, 2o

if not constant, attention is required to maintain such belts properlyaligned. It is one of the objects of this invention to obviate thenecessity of any hand or Vmanually controlled apltnal'atusY and toprovide abelt pulley which is automatic 25 ably at least 2 springs foreach pair of pulley members l. As shown, there are two such springs andcertain in its operation, and which automatically corrects andcounteracts a tendency tomisalignment. Another object is to provide.self-aligning means which act in response to side movement ofthe belt30 out of alignment: automatically to cause reverse side movement of thebelt into the position vof alignment.

Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the specificationand claims. 36

This invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section with parts broken away, showing bothends of a pulley made 40 according to this invention and in a positionof mis-alignment.

Figure 2 is a section taken at the end of the pulley and showing theparts in proper 11051151011 oi alignment.

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken at line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view, showing the pulley of this invention incombination with a plain or 5 standard pulley.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the specicationand the drawings.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1-3, inclusive, thepulley includes a shaftlike member I which is rounded at its ends as 5.5

shown and may be can'ied in bearingsV 2 2, which as shown in Figure 2are provided with `bushings 3. The-body voi' the shaft-like member'2 is'enlarged and preferably squared in cross-section as at l, as shownparticularly in Figure 3, and itis provided with one or moreperforations 5 5. some of which extend straight through in one plane,and others oi'- which extend straight through in a plane at right anglesto the ilrst. These perforationsserve the purpose that will be explainedbelow. 0n each of its faces the body portion is Provided with one ormore grooves or depressions 6-4, which serve as races and in whichrocker members 'I-I are positioned. Positioned externally on each of thefaces oi the member I is tions are shown particularly `in Figure 1, are

' rounded externally on the arc of a circle, and are dat internally; andthey are provided with depressions Il which correspond to the depressiont of the member l and in which the rockers 1 are arrangedto't and tomove. As a means for holding the pulley members I moveably in position,springs II are provided and there is one spring in each of the.perforations 5 and prefer- 'which all of the pulleys are self-aligning.or it may be usedas shown in Figure 4 in an installation in which astraight pulley I3 of convenv tional designi's used. As there shown, thepulley Il is carried by a shaft I 4, which is mounted in bearings I5.

In each end of each of the pulley'members 9 a ball pocket I i is formedand a ball bearing I1 is mounted in each such pocket. These bearings 45abut against a ring or washer I8, of which one is positioned at each endof the self-aligning pulley assembly. Adjacent the ring or washer Il isa ball carrying disk I9, which is perforated to receive a plurality ofball bearings 20, and

0 these ball bearings are in contact with the iiat face 2i of a ring 22,which is provided with a concave opposite'face 23. A concave ballcarrying member 2l is mounted adjacent the ring 22 and corresponds inshape to its concave face 23. Balls 2B are mounted in the carrier 24. Awedge respondingly, its lowermost portion moves to the with the surfacemember 9, which has been moved member 281s xed on the shaft portions Iby a -set screw 21. lIt has a convex face 2l whicheonforms in shape tothe concave face 2l of the member 22 and to the concave shape of themember 24, which carries the balls 2l. The construction at each end ofthe pulley is identical.'

This application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No.410,871, filed September 15, 1941, and now Patent No., 2,301,542, issuedNovember 10, 1942.

The use and operation are as follows: The parts are shown in properadjustment without any mis- Y alignmentinFigure 2. Whenthe beltmovestoa'', misaligned position, the parts may assinne the position shown inFigure 1. :As thereshown, the 16 belt I 2 has become misaligned to theleft. Its left edge hasirun on' of or extended beyond the left. edge ofthe surface member l. When that occurs and when the-belt runs up on thewedgemember 22, as shown in Figure 1, that member is depressed by thepressure of the belt and runs downwardly about the wedge member 26. Whenthat occurs, the uppermost member 9 of Figure 1 is, in eil'ect, carriedto the right, and it presses upon the uppermost portion of theright-hand wedge member 22, thus causing that member to rise withrespect to the right-hand wedge member 28. As the right-hand member 22rises, its uppermost portion moves to the right, and corleft, thuscarrying the lowermost surface membei" vil bodily to the left. To 'alesser degree the same movements are carried out with respect to the`other surface members. After this leftward movement of the llowermos'tsurface member 9 has 3 occurred, when rotation of the pulley as a wholecontinues, the belt will be brought intocontact with the lowermostmember 9, which has been moved to the left, and thus the belt, which hasitself moved to the left, willbe brought into con'- tact with a surfacemember which Vhas been moved to the left so that it will be properlycentered with respect to that surface member.

When the belt is thus brought into position to the left, the belt is inproper alignment with this particular surface member, and ythe beltpressure on the rockers tends to rock those rockers back to the normalor balanced position of Figure 2. The function of the rockers is thus totend to keep the surface members properly aligned and to restore them toproper alignment when they have moved away. The rockers 1, as shown inFigure 2, are balanced, and the belt .pressure exerted -through thesurface members merely exerts a balanced pressure on these members.When, however, the rockers have been moved to the position of Figure 1because of misalignment, belt pressure upon them exerted through thesurface members tends to rock them back to the balanced position ofFigure 2,V an'dxo when they rock back to the balanced position, theycarry or tend to carry the surface members to their proper position withrespect to the pulley as a whole. l

While the surface members as shown 'in Fig- 55 ures 1 and 2 have beendescribed as uppermost and lowermost, that description applies only topensate for said misallgnment.

ably carried therebyg'and forming acontacting surface, and a pluralityof positioned between said rotor and eachofsaid surface members, andymoveable means supported by said rotor adjacent surface members andpositioned to have contact with a surface with which the'self-aligningrotor is in contact, and to be moved bysuch contact. said moveable meansbeing effective, -when moved. by contact with said surface. to move inthedire'ctionfoppo- Vsite to that of t, and thereby to com- 2. Incombination in a self-aligning rotor, a rotor body, a plurality ofsurface members moveablycarried thereby, andA forming a contactingsurface, and moveablek means supported by `said rotor adjacent saidsurface members 'and positioned ,to have contact, and to be moved bysuch .surface contact, said moveable'means being effective, when movedby. contact with said surface, to move in the direction opposite, tothat of misalignment, and thereby to compensate .for saidmisalignment,/and a plurality of rocker members inserted .between saidrotor body and each of said surface members, adjacent'faces of saidrotor body and said surface members being shaped to receive said rockermembers moveably. A

3. In combination in a self-aligning rotor, a rotor body, a plurality ofsurface members moveably carried thereby, and forming a contactingsurface, and a plurality of rocker members positioned between said rotorand each of said surface members, said rocker members being shaped 'toprovide two oppositely placed inclined surfaces of substantiallyidentical curvature, and moveable means movably supported from saidrotor adjacent said surface members'and positioned to have contact witha surface with which the self-aligning rotor `is in contact-and to bemoved by such surfacecontact, said moveable means being effective, whenmoved by contact with said surface, to move in the direction opposite tothat of misalignment, and thereby to 'compensate for said misalignment.v l f 4. In-combination in a self-aligning pulley, a pulley member, aplurality of surface members moveably carried thereby, and forming abelt contacting surface, andl a plurality of rocker members positionedbetween said rotor and each of said surface members, and moveablewedgelike means adjacent the ends of said surface members andpositionedto be contacted and I moved by a misaligned belt, saidmoveable means eective, when moved by the belt, to move a surface'memberin the direction opposite to that of the misalignment, and thereby tocompensate for the misalignment.

5. In combination in a self-aligning pul1ey,'a pulley member, aplurality of surface members moveably carried thereby, and forming abelt contacting surface, and a plurality of rocker members positionedbetween said rotor and each of said surface members, andfixed andmoveable wedge-like means adjacent the vends of said surface members,saidmoveable means being positioned to be contacted and moved by amisaligned belt, said moveable means eective, when moved by the belt, tomove a sin'face member in the direction oppositeto that of themisalignment, and` thereby to compensate for the misalignment.

6. In combination in a pulley, a body, a plurality of surface membersadapted to contact la belt, said members being mounted for en'dwise Ymovement along the pulley,rand a plurality of rocker members positionedbetween said body and each of said surface members, and means forimparting endwise movement to one of said members ln one direction inresponse to endwise movement of another of said members in an op-lendwise movement of another of said members in an opposite direction.

8. In combination in a pulley, a body, a plurality of surface membersadaptedv to contact a belt, said members being mounted vfor endwisemovement along the pulley, and a plurality oi rocker members positionedbetween said body and each of said surface members, said rocker membersbeing'shaped to provide two opposi'tely placed inclined surfaces ofsubstantially identical curvature, and means for imparting endwisemovement to one of said members in one-direction in response to endwisemovement of another of said members in an opposite direction.

9. In combination with a belt a multi-part pulley in contact with saidbelt, and rockers positioned between parts of said pulley, means fprimparting movement to one oi' said pulley parts, in response tomisalignment of said belt, and means for imparting an opposite movementto another part of said pulley in response to movement of saidtiret-mentioned part.

10'.In combination with a belt a multi-part pulley in contact with saidbelt, adjacent parts of said pulley provided with depressions adaptedmoveably to retain rocker members, and rocker members positioned in saiddepressions, said rocker members comprising moveable contacting partsbetween adjacent pulley parts, means for imparting movement to one ofsaid pulley parts. in response to misalignment of said belt, and meansfor imparting an opposite movement to another part oi' said pulley inresponse to movement of said first-mentioned part.

1l. In combination in a pulley a pulley body. a plurality of membersadapted to contact a belt, said members being mounted for endwisemovement along the pulley and springs secured to said members andtending to resist their movement, each spring being secured to twooppositeiy placed members and means for imparting endwise movement forone of said members in one direction, in response to endwise movement ofanother of said membersin an opposite direction.

12. In combination in a pulley a pulley body,

a plurality of members adapted to contact a belt.'

said members being mounted for endwise move ment along thepulley, andsprings secured to said members andtendlng to resist their movement eachspring being secured to two oppositely placed members, and means forimparting endwise movement for one of said members in 'one direction, inresponse to endwise movement of another of said members in an oppositedirection, and rolling parts positioned between said body and saidmembers.

RUDOLPH F; HLAVA'I'Y.

